the entering of the gate of the city, Abimelech rose up, and the people that were with him, from the ambushment. And Gaal saw the people, and said to Zebul: Behold, there come people down from the tops of the mountains. But Zebul said to him: Thou seest the shadow of the mountains as if it were men. And Gaal spake again and said: See, there come people down by the middle of the land, and another company cometh by the way of the Magician's Oak. Then said Zebul to him: Where is now thy mouth, wherewith thou saidst, Who is Abimelech, that we should serve him? Is not this the people that thou hast despised? Go out, now, and fight with them. So Gaal went out in the sight of the men of Shechem, and fought with Abimelech. And Abimelech chased him, and he fled before him, and there fell many wounded, even unto the entering of the gate. And it came to pass on the morrow, that the people went out into the field; and it was told Abimelech. And he took his people, and divided them into three companies, and laid wait in the field. And he looked, and, behold, the people came forth out of the city; and he rose up against them, and smote them. And Abimelech, and the company that was with him, rushed forward, and stood in the entering of the gate of the city; and the two other companies rushed upon all that were in the field, and smote them. And Abimelech fought against the city all that day, and took the city, and slew the people that were therein, and beat down the city, and sowed it with salt.

And when all the men of the citadel of Shechem heard this, they entered into a hold of the temple of El-berith. And it was told Abimelech that all the men of the citadel of Shechem were gathered together. And Abimelech went up to Mount Zalmon, he and all the people that

DEATH OF ABIMELECH.

183

were with him; and Abimelech took an axe in his hand, and cut down a bough of a tree, and took it up, and laid it on his shoulder. And he said to the people that were with him: What ye have seen me do, make haste, and do ye likewise. So all the people likewise cut down every man his bough, and followed Abimelech, and piled them against the hold, and set the hold on fire by means of them. So all the men of the citadel of Shechem died also, about a thousand men and women.

Thebez, and encamped

But there was a strong

Then went Abimelech to against Thebez, and took it. tower within the city, and thither fled all the men and women, and all they of the city, and shut themselves in, and gat them up to the roof of the tower. And Abimelech came unto the tower, and fought against it, and came near unto the door of the tower to burn it with fire. And a certain woman cast an upper millstone upon Abimelech's head, and brake his skull. Then he called hastily to the young man his armor-bearer, and said to him Draw thy sword, and kill me, that men say not of me, A woman slew him. And his young man thrust him through, and he died. And when the men of Israel saw that Abimelech was dead, they departed every man unto his place.

Thus God requited the wickedness of Abimelech, which he did unto his father, in slaying his seventy brethren; and all the wickedness of the men of Shechem did God requite upon their heads; and upon them came the curse of Jotham son of Jerubbaal.

CHAPTER XXII.

JUDGES, X.-xii.

THE AGE OF ANARCHY-V.

THE STORY OF JEPHTHAH.

Jephthah Chief of Gilead-Jephthah's Vow-War with AmmonWar with Ephraim—Shibboleth—Jephthah's Daughter.

Now Jehovah's anger was kindled against Israel, and he sold them into the hands of the children of Ammon, and eighteen years they vexed and oppressed all the children of Israel that were beyond Jordan in Gilead. Moreover the children of Ammon passed over Jordan to fight against Judah, and against Benjamin, and against the house of Ephraim; so that Israel was sore distressed.

Then the children of Ammon gathered together, and encamped in Gilead. And the children of Israel assembled themselves together, and encamped in Mizpeh. And the princes of Gilead said one to another: Who is he that shall lead us to battle against the children of Ammon? He shall be head over all the inhabitants of Gilead.

Now Jephthah the Gileadite was a mighty warrior, but his brethren thrust him forth from among them, because he was the son of a strange woman; and he fled from them, and dwelt in the land of Tob, and there gathered about him men of bad name, who became his followers. And it came to pass, that when the children of Ammon

WAR WITH AMMON.

185

made war against Israel, the elders of Gilead went to fetch Jephthah out of the land of Tob. And they said to Jephthah: Come and be ourchief, that we may fight with the children of Ammon. But Jephthah said to the elders of Gilead: Did not ye hate me, and drive me out of my father's house? Why then are ye come unto me now when ye are in distress? And the elders of Gilead said to Jephthah: For this cause we turn again to thee now, that thou mayest go with us, and fight with the children of Ammon, and be our head over all the inhabitants of Gilead. And Jephthah said to the elders of Gilead: If ye bring me home again to fight with the children of Ammon, and Jehovah deliver them before me, shall I be your head? And the elders of Gilead said to Jephthah : Jehovah be witness between us, that according to thy word so will we do. Then Jephthah went with the elders of Gilead, and the people made him head and chief over them. And Jephthah sat as judge in Mizpeh.

Then Jephthah sent messengers unto the king of the children of Ammon, saying: What quarrel is there betwixt us that thou art come unto me to fight against my land? And the king of the children of Ammon answered the messengers of Jephthah: Because Israel took away my land when he came up out of Egypt, from the Arnon unto the Jabbok, and unto the Jordan; now therefore restore those lands again peaceably. And Jephthah sent messengers again unto the king of the children of Ammon, and said to him: Thus saith Jephthah: Israel took not away the land of Moab, nor the land of the children of Ammon; but the land of Sihon, king of the Amorites, from the Arnon unto the Jabbok, and from the wilderness unto the Jordan. And now Jehovah the God of Israel hath driven out the Amorites before his people

Israel, and thou wouldst fain possess their land. Dost not thou possess that which Chemosh thy god giveth thee to possess? So whomsoever Jehovah our God hath dispossessed from before us, their land do we possess. I have not sinned against thee, but thou doest me wrong to war against me. Jehovah, the Judge, be judge this day between the children of Israel and the children of Ammon. Howbeit the king of the children of Ammon hearkened not unto the words of Jephthah which he sent him.

Then the spirit of Jehovah came upon Jephthah, and he gathered together Gilead and Manasseh, and passed over against the children of Ammon. And Jephthah vowed a vow unto Jehovah, and said: If thou wilt indeed deliver the children of Ammon into mine hand, then it shall be, that whosoever cometh forth out of the doors of my house to meet me, when I return in peace from the children of Ammon, he shall be Jehovah's, and I will offer him up for a burnt-offering. So Jephthah passed over unto the children of Ammon to fight against them; and Jehovah gave them into his hand. And he smote them from Aroer until thou come to Minnith (twenty cities), and unto the Meadow of Vineyards, with a very great slaughter. So the children of Ammon were humbled before the children of Israel.

Then the men of Ephraim gathered together, and passed over northward, and said to Jephthah: Wherefore passedst thou over to fight against the children of Ammon, and didst not call us to go with thee? We will burn thine house upon thee with fire. And Jephthah said to them I and my people were at great strife with the children of Ammon; and when I called you, ye saved me not out of their hand. And when I saw that